JCPA Insider: July 9, 2001

Quote of the Week: "The message to the Palestinians should be clear: Embrace democracy and human rights, spend less on ensuring the continuation of Mr. Arafat's regime and develop a genuinely free press that is prepared to debate the issues surrounding peace in a mature and open way. Failure to address these problems will mean that any future peace process or agreement will be a road to nowhere, just as, with the benefit of hindsight, Oslo was from the outset. "

"Before Peace, Democracy: Developing Palestinian Civil Society is Central to the Success of the Process," Neill Lochery, National Post (www.nationalpost.com)

For more information, contact Reva Price, Washington Representative at rprice@thejcpa.org

Admit Magen David Adom Now: Senators Fitzgerald (IL) and Clinton (NY) are spearheading a drive in Congress to secure colleagues’ signatures on a letter to Secretary of State Colin Powell regarding Magen David Adom’s admittance into the International Red Cross Societies. The letter notes that although the American Red Cross has recognized the superb and invaluable work done by MDA and considers the exclusion of MDA Society from the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement "an injustice of the highest order," the international movement has repeatedly failed to act. Plenum 2001 delegates will recall the emphatic case for admission made by American Red Cross president Dr. Bernadine Healy. JCPA member agencies are urged to contact legislators asking that they sign this important letter. Contact rprice@thejcpa.org for copies of the letter.

Earning Their Pay: Congress returns to Washington this week to a jam-packed agenda. The House will be working on the completion of the agriculture spending bill, a proposed constitutional amendment banning flag desecration and campaign finance overhaul legislation. The House Ways and Means Committee is expected to consider the tax provisions of The Community Solutions Act (HR7), the legislative component to the President’s faith based initiative. The House Appropriations Committee will finish work on the Foreign Operations Appropriations bill which includes foreign aid to Israel and the Middle East Peace Commitments Act. (See JCPA Insider, July 2, 2001) The International Operations and Human Rights Subcommittee chaired by Representative Ros- Lehtinen (FL) will hold a hearing on religious discrimination in Western Europe. On the other side of "the hill," the Senate is scheduled to debate the fiscal 2001 Supplemental Spending bill. Of key importance: the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will consider several pending Ambassadorial nominations, including Daniel Kurtzer (slated to be the next Ambassador to Israel), C. David Welch (Ambassador to Egypt), Francis X. Taylor (coordinator for counterterrorism), and Alexander Vershbow (Ambassador to Russia). The committee is also slated to have a closed-door briefing on the situation in the Middle East with CIA Director George Tenet and William Burns, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs. The coalition supporting an increase in the Minimum Wage has designated July 10^th to be a national "call-in" day. In 1998, the JCPA enacted a resolution, which states "the JCPA believes that the promise of America, and the demand for a decent family life for all, requires prompt passage of legislation to raise the minimum wage."(see www.jewishpublic affairs.org, resolutions, Equal Opportunity and Social Justice, 1998) JCPA member agencies are urged to call Senators and urge support for an increase of the minimum wage by $1.50 an hour. The Senate is likely to vote on this important increase during July.

Movement for Genetic Nondiscrimination in Health Insurance: The House Commerce Trade and Consumer Protection Subcommittee chaired by Rep. Stearns (FL) will hold a hearing on the potential for discrimination in health insurance based on predictive genetic tests. Just last month, President Bush stated his support for legislation that would ban genetic discrimination by health insurers or employers. The Genetic Nondiscrimination in Health Insurance and Employment Act (H.R.602/S.318) currently has more than 250 co-sponsors in the House. JCPA’s 1997 resolution on Genetic Testing, Discrimination and the Jewish Community can be found at www.jewishpublicaffairs.org, resolutions, Jewish Security and the Bill of Rights.

WCAR Preparations Continue: Preparations for the World Conference Against Racism (WCAR) are in full swing. (Contact lmallin@thejcpa.org for notes from the JCPA June Board meetings on this topic) JCPA Washington Representative Reva Price has just returned from a meeting in London with Deputy Foreign Minister Melchior, Israeli Foreign Ministry staff and representatives of the European, American and South African Jewish communities where strategies were discussed. The current language in the documents to be discussed at the conference continues to include offensive language, including the old canard that "Zionism is racism." If the "buzz" is in your community about this conference, it is urgent that that you contact JCPA Washington Representative Reva Price for talking points and background information. Anyone wishing to attend the conference in South Africa must contact rprice@thejcpa.org by Tuesday, July 10^th (tomorrow).

A Matter of Record: An invocation by JCPA Board member Rabbi Israel Zoberman (Virginia Beach), son of Polish Holocaust survivors who spent from 1947-49 in a DP camp, delivered at the dedication of the Survivor’s Talmud Exhibit at the Chrysler Museum in Norfolk, VA, appeared in the Congressional Record June 22, 2001. Mazel Tov to Felice Gaer, director of the American Jewish Committee’s Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights who has been appointed to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.

For more information, contact Benita Gayle-Almeleh, Director of Community Relations and Special Projects at bga@thejcpa.org

Solidarity September: Watch this space for details of the many components of this major Hasbara initiative. Get ready for the September 23^rd Rally in New York City!

Heard from the Field: 22 teens from Youngstown, Ohio’s African American/Jewish Dialogue traveled to Washington in early June for a Teen Mission to visit sites of key interest to each community, attend worship services, and meet with legislators on Capitol Hill. Contact Youngstown CRC Director Bonnie Deutsch Burdman at bdburdman1@juno.com for program details.